Morningside Nature Center
Managed by City of Gainesville
406 acres5.1 mi of trail
Flatwoods Loop TrailWest Perimeter TrailGaliberry TrailBlueberry Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Rbrko · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Gainesville
12% of Gainesville’s land is conserved: 4,809 acres
62 miles of mapped trail cross Gainesville, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Morningside Nature Center (5.1 mi), Sweetwater Wetlands Park (3.7 mi), Split Rock Conservation Area (3.1 mi). 90% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #49 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
4,809 acres · of 64.0 sq mi of land
Trails
62 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,243 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
90%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
150 mi
113 mi lanes · 31 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
22
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Gainesville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Gainesville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Gainesville is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #49 of 638 in Florida. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Gainesville’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (62 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,243 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home90% of residents within a half mile of a park · FL 70% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 92%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Gainesville ranks #89 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Morningside Nature Center, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Park
257 acres3.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Split Rock Conservation Area
Nature preserve
239 acres3.1 mi of trail
Main Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Four Creeks Preserve
Managed by Alachua County Parks
704 acres2.8 mi of trail
Blue TrailYellow TrailConnector trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Loblolly Woods North
Park
98 acres2.5 mi of trail
Hogtown Creek PathHogtown Creek Greenwayhogtown creek greenwayMason Manor Boardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
San Felasco Park
Park
206 acres1.7 mi of trail
Flatwoods Trail SouthPond TrailSouth LoopHardwood Hammock Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Clear Lake Nature Park
Nature preserve
266 acres1.4 mi of trail
The Snake
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 61 parks & preserves
Morningside Nature Center406 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · City of Gainesville
Sweetwater Wetlands Park257 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSplit Rock Conservation Area239 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
Four Creeks Preserve704 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Alachua County Parks
Loblolly Woods North98 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSan Felasco Park206 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
Butler North48 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsClear Lake Nature Park266 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBivens Arm Nature Park89 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park70 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWestside Recreation Center26 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of Gainesville
DirectionsGum Root Park426 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Alice Conservation Area139 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAlfred A. Ring Park47 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHogtown Creek Headwaters74 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNatural Area Teaching Laboratory69 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · University of Florida
DirectionsPossum Creek Park48 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Gainesville
DirectionsDevil's Millhopper Geological State Park84 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Florida State Parks
DirectionsFred Cone Park30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Newnans Lake Conservation Area261 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLoblolly Woods South78 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNorthside Park37 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCofrin Nature Park35 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDepot Park33 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringtree Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
John Mahon Nature Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTom Petty Park21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Reserve Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBo Diddley Plaza2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringhill Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sweetwater Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGarden of Hope2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSmokey Bear Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Norman Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · University of Florida
DirectionsBroken Arrow Bluff Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Oakview Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Boulware Springs Park107 acres
DirectionsNewnans Lake State Forest69 acres · Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Duval Park28 acres
T B McPherson Recreation Complex15 acres
Greentree Park14 acres
DirectionsLake Kanapaha13 acres · Alachua County
Sweetwater Preserve9 acres
DirectionsCora P. Roberson Park8 acres
DirectionsFlavet Field7 acres · UF Recsports
DirectionsKiwanis Park7 acres
DirectionsPaynes Prairie Preserve State Park5 acres · Florida State Parks
Plaza of the Americas5 acres · University of Florida
DirectionsAuditorium Park3 acres
DirectionsSunbay Duck Pond3 acres
DirectionsUniversity Park Arboretum3 acres
Graham Park2 acres
DirectionsRoper Park2 acres
DirectionsHaisley Lynch Dog Park1 acres
DirectionsSorority Park1 acres
DirectionsPleasant Park1 acres
Law School Park1 acres · University of Florida
38th Street Park1 acres · City of Gainesville
Hidden Gem Park1 acres
DirectionsTigert Park1 acres
DirectionsDonald Lee & Virginia Joanne Rockwood Park1 acres · Alachua Conservation Trust
Who protects it
4,809 conserved acres
12% of Gainesville’s land. Who manages Gainesville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,725 ac
Regional Water Districts1,199 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)838 ac
Other state land560 ac
State parks294 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits35 ac
County6 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,256 acLocal Conservation Area · 978 acAgricultural Easement · 838 acUnknown Easement · 838 acLocal Park · 577 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 838 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gum Root Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 369 | Open |
| Newnans Lake Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Regional Water Districts | 361 | Restricted |
| Morningside Nature Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 267 | Open |
| Split Rock Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 238 | Open |
| Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park State Conservation Area | State parks | 228 | Open |
| Sugarfoot Prairie Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 195 | Open |
| San Felasco Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 191 | Open |
| Flatwoods Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 155 | Open |
| Loblolly Woods Nature Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 154 | Open |
| Lake Alice State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 129 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
89 places to go in Gainesville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Gainesville
Alight Gainesville Apartment Pool
DirectionsFlorida Pool
DirectionsNortheast PoolFee
DirectionsSunbay Pool
DirectionsTanglewood Pool
DirectionsWeschester Pool
DirectionsPlus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Gainesville
DIamond Village Playground
DirectionsSplash PadIn Depot Park
DirectionsWestside ParkHours: sunrise-sunset · In Westside Recreation Center
Directions44 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Gainesville
Possum Creek Dog ParkIn Possum Creek Park
DirectionsSpyglass Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 5 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Gainesville
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Gainesville
11 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Gainesville
38th Street Park Picnic AreaIn 38th Street Park
DirectionsOak Canopy Picnic AreaIn Veterans Memorial Park
DirectionsPlus 11 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Gainesville
McRorie Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 3 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.0 miUnpaved · 34.2 mi
Blue Trail1.5 mi
Main Trail1.3 mi
Yellow Trail1.1 mi
Hogtown Creek Greenway1.0 mi
Hogtown Creek Path0.6 mi
Flatwoods Loop Trail0.5 mi
West Perimeter Trail0.5 mi
Galiberry Trail0.5 mi
Flatwoods Trail South0.5 mi
The Snake0.5 mi
15 more trails
Blueberry Trail
0.4 miOld Field Nature Trail
0.4 mihogtown creek greenway
0.4 miNorth Perimeter Trail
0.4 miTrail
0.4 miHibiscus
0.3 miJohn Mahon Nature Trail
0.3 miGardenia
0.3 miHolly
0.3 miLily
0.3 miEcotone Trail
0.3 miPond Trail
0.2 miConnector trail
0.2 miDeer Tongue Trail
0.2 miGopher Loop
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Burberry PondpondCade's CovepondChapman's PondpondClear LakelakeColclough PondpondDairy PondpondDepot Park LakelakeDuckpondpondGator PondpondGraham PondpondHeron InletpondHidden LakelakeHume PondpondLake AlicelakeLiberty PondpondOcala PondpondRush LakelakeSorority PondlakeSpyglass PondpondSunbay Duck PondpondSw 5th Ave Basinlakehogtown creek sediment deposition areapond
Biking & sports
150 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
113 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
31 mi
off-road bike paths
5.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
115Tennis
54Basketball
24Pickleball
24Baseball
22Beach volleyball
21Soccer
11Football
10Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →44 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 47 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Maj. James B. Bailey HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itMatheson HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itHotel ThomasBuilding · listed 1973
About itEpworth HallBuilding · listed 1973
About itBuckman HallBuilding · listed 1974
About itThomas HallBuilding · listed 1974
About itAnderson HallBuilding · listed 1979
About itBryan HallBuilding · listed 1979
About itFlint HallBuilding · listed 1979
About itFloyd HallBuilding · listed 1979
About itLibrary EastBuilding · listed 1979
About itNewell HallBuilding · listed 1979
About it32 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Gainesville
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.4 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.6 | 14.0 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.2 |
| High (°F) | 68 | 71 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 91 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 83 | 75 | 70 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 3.0 |
November is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 7.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Gainesville →
Next door
Gainesville and its neighbors
Gainesville has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville | 12% | 1.0 | 29 | 90% | A |
| Alachua | 15% | 0.6 | 315 | 66% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gainesville
Where can I hike in Gainesville?
The longest trail networks: Morningside Nature Center, 5.1 miles; Sweetwater Wetlands Park, 3.7 miles; Split Rock Conservation Area, 3.1 miles; Four Creeks Preserve, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Gainesville is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 3% for a Florida town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Gainesville’s trails?
Morningside Nature Center and Sweetwater Wetlands Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Gainesville?
150 miles of bike routes are on the map: 113 of painted or protected lanes, 31 of off-road paths and 5.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Gainesville?
50,809 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gainesville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,687 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Gainesville have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #49 of 638 in Florida. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gainesville neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →